Flexible coupling.



G. H. F. HOLY.

FLEXIBLE COUPLING. Armcmon mm wu' s. |911.

1,284,683. Patented Nov. 12, 1918.,

,c7 I4 INVENTOR A'TroRNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE. i

GEORGE H. I". HOLY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC da MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

FLEXIBLE C0 UPLING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Geenen Il. Ii. Hom', a. citizen of the United States, and n resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented #t new end useful Improvement in Flexible Couplings, of which the following is e specilisation.

My invention relates to resilient driving. connections and particularly to resilient gear wheels.

One object. of my invention is to provide e resilient, driving connection that shall be simple end rugged in construction and have the driving and the driven parts thereof oonnested by resilient means which may be son veniently removed for repairs end replace ment.

Another object of my invention is to provide a resilient driving connection of the above-indicated, character that shell em- 'body a driving and a driven member lmv ing a common axis of rotation and e plurality of resilient members for joining the driving andthe driven part. which shell be disposed parallel to the exis of rotation 'of said members.

More specifically, my invention embodies a driving conneetion provided with e driving member linving a radially disposed. flange extending therefrom, e driven meno ber having a flange disposed parallel to the flange extending from tno driving member, o. plurality ol heliefii springs .vlieb :ire dis` posed parallel and symmetrical lo the com4 mon axis of rotation o1 seid members, und a plurality of clamps und wedge members for securing the springs to the driving and the driven members` ,in order to forni n resilient connection therebetween.

In e driving'connection constructed in teeordance with my invention, the resilient Connecting means between the driving and the driven members ere disposed in e menH ner to obtain an eiiieient dynamic belonen of the moving ports which is ditiirnlt to ob tain in the driving eonneetioi'xs nonT in service that are provided with spring' @Tormentors disposed perpendicular to plnnes extending through, the anis of rotation et the dri members.

In the eeeomimuying iii-swing, Figure l is an end elevational view of n. driving com neetion constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. Zis :1 view, partially in side elevation und lmr'tizilly in section. oi the geur wlieel illustrated in Fig. l; Fig. il is n detail view of n portion of the driven member illustrated in Figs. 1 nud 2; Fig. 4. and Fig. 5 are side elevntionnl views of portions of n geur wheel constructed in ad oord-ence with my invention, and Fig. G is :i sectional View of the geur wheel illustrated in Fi rs. 4 und 5.

Re erring to Figs. l, 2 and 3 of the drawing, e driving oonneelion l embodies e driving member 2 that is mounted upon o. shaft 3 :ind a driven member `yl that is mounted upon i shaft 5. The driving and the driven members 2 and 4 are similar in construction and are resilienlly joined together by '.1 plurality of helical sgnings 6 which are disposed parallel and symmetrical lo the shafts 3 and 5 upon which the driving members i. and 4- are mounted.

Inesmueh as the drivingnnd the driven members 2 und 4 are similar in construe tion and the sprii'igs G are connected to the two members in e similar manner, only one' member` namely, driven member 4, and the ineens for connecting one spring thereto will. be described in detail.

An end portion of tlie springv 6 is secured to tlie driven member il by ineens of two elz'onping members 7 and 8 and a Wed o member 9. The clamping members T :1nd 8 end the wedge member El are provided witu .threads oi' :i piii'lx similar to the piteh of tile spring (i in order to :ivoifl straining tbe .spring n nd bold tlie solo". securely in position, when clamped b v means of the bolts 10.

Portions of the driving und of the driven member surroumling the springs 6 are cored 'out to form pockets l1.. ne indicated in Figs. El und 3 of tile drmving, in order to prevent interference with the movement of the springs G when the driving and the driven members are given relative movement.

From tbe above description, it will be noted that the shaft 3 :md the driving member L' nre resiliently joined to tbe slleft 5 and the driven/member 4 by ineens of a plurzxlity of helical springs 6 wllieh are s vm metrieally disposed relative to the common axis of rotation in order to maintain a. perfeet dynamic balance of tlie moving ports. iiloreover, it will be apparent that e spring may be removed for repair or replacement in a. convenient manner by tne removal si.:

the bolts 10 which are associated with the driving and the driven members.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and G, a gear wheel 15 embodies a hub member 16 haring a flange projection 17 extending therefrom and a rim member 18 rovided with gear teeth 19 and having a lange rojection 20 extending therefrom which is disposed parallel to the flange 17 extending from the hub member 16. The hub and the rim mem` ber are resiliently connected together by means of a plurality of helical springs 21 that are disposed parallel and symmetrical to the shaft 22 upon which the hub member 16 is mounted.

The springs 21 are rigidly secured to the hub member 16 by wedges 23, clamps 24 and bolts 25. The clamps 24 and the Wedges 23 are provided with threads of the same pitch as the spring 21 and, when clamped in position by means of the bolts 25, are adapted to prevent any movement of the coils of the springs engaged thereby.

he end portions of the sprin s 2l that are associated with the rim mem er 18 are provided with a similar set of wedges 23, clamps 24, and bolts 25 for rigidly securing the end portions thereof to the rim member. It will be noted that a gear Wheel constructed in accordance with my invention, as set forth, will have substantially perfect dynamic balance and may be constructed at a minimum cost, as the hub and the rim members may be conveniently rolled from a forged blank with facility.

Modifications in the structure andlar# rangement and location of parts may be made within the spirit and scope of my inv vention and such modifications are intended to be covered bythe appended claims.

I claim as my invention: l

1. In a resilient connectipn, the combina* tion with a driving and a driven member, of a plurality of elongate-d helical springs for resiliently joining said members, sald springs being located parallel to the axis of rotation of said members.

2. In a resilient connection, the combination with a driving member having a flange portion extending radially therefrom, and a driven member having a flange portion disposed adjacent to the flange portion extending from said driving member, of. a plurality of elongated helical springs disposed parallel to the axis of said members and rigidly secured to the flange portions thereof.

3. In a resilient connection, the combination with a driving and a driven member havin a common axis of rotation, of a plnra lty ofelongated helical springs disposed parallel to the axis of rotation of said members, and means for rigidly securing said springs to the driving and the driven members.

having radially 'bers 4. In a resilient connection, the combinan tion with a driving and a driven member disposed Hanges extending therefrom, of a Yilnrality of helical springs disposed paralisi to the common axis of rotation of said members, and cla1np-nnd wedge members for securin said springs to the flanges in order to reslliently join the driving and the driven members.

5. In a resilient connection, the combination with a driving member having a radial flange extending therefrom, and a driven member having a flange portion extending parallel to the flange portion extending from the driving member, of a plurality of helical springs disposed parallel, and in symmetrical relation, to the common axis of rotation of said members, and ivetlgt-and clam members for securing said springs to the flanges extending from the driving and the driven members.

6. In a resilient connection, thc comlrnaV tion with a driving and a driven member havingr a common axis of rotation. of a plurality of helical springs disposed parallel to the axis of rotation ot' said members, and means comprising wedge members and clamps for securing said springs to the driving and to the driven member in order to cllect a resilient connection therebetween.

7. In a resilient connection, the combinationavith a driving and a driven member having a common axis of rotation, of a plurality of helical springs disposed parallel and symmetrical to the axis of rotation of said members, and means comprising a plurality of wedge members and clamps for securing the respective ends of said springs to the driving and the driven member 1n order to edect a resilient connection therebetween.

8. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member having a radial projection extending therefrom, and a rim member having a radial projection located adjacent to said hub projection, of means embodyinglcylindrical helical springs disosed parallel to the axis of said members or resiliently joining said members.

9. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member having a ll nge portion extending` radially therefrom, dnd a rim member having a Ilange portion disposed adjacent to the flange portion of said hub member, of a plurality of helical springs disposed parallel to the axis of said memand having their center lines located e ual distances from the center of rotation the gear wheel, and means for securing said springs to theflange portions of said members, whereby the two members are resiliently joined together.

10. In a resilient tion with a hub member rim member hav gear Wheel, the combinaaxis of rotation,

ing a flange portion disposed adjacent to the flange` portion extending from sail hub member, said inenihers haring a common of a plurality of helical springs disposed parallel and symmetrical tothe axis of rotation of said members, and means comprising a plurality ot' wedge members and clamps for securing said springs to the flange portions of sai memiently Joined together.

11. In a resilient gear wheel, the combination with a hub member havin a Harige eX- tending radially therefrom, an( a rim members, whereby the two members are resilsprings to said members in orfier te eieet a resilient connection therebetween.

In testimonyr whereof, I have hereunto subsrerioed my name this 28th (lay of Jane 91 GEORGE Hi F. Hille?.

Eil 

